Great Reads Sunday

- A delightful informal essay by Michael J. Ybarra looks at climbing several of Patagonia's great mountains at Parque Nacional Los Glacieres, Argentina. 'We were high on Poincenot (9,849 feet), an impressive rock spire and the third-highest peak in this spectacularly beautiful part of Patagonia...' ~ Wall Street Journal

-Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation said they will donate $10bn (£6.2bn) over the next 10 years to develop and deliver new vaccines. Mr Gates, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, said the aim was to see 90% of children in developing countries immunized. ~ BBC

- The United Nations is revamping aid in Haiti. A new distribution program prioritizes women with families in an effort to stop chaotic stampedes over food convoys. ~ Globe and Mail

-Out of faith and compassion Lonnie Vargas provides a diary of her volunteer efforts in Haiti. ~ Time

- Steve Jobs and the Ipad of Hope- 'It does not come as a surprise, then, that Apple has already attracted some blue-chip media brands to the iPad’s platform. During his presentation Mr Jobs revealed that the company had struck deals with leading publishers such as Penguin and Simon & Schuster. They will provide books for the iPad, to be found and paid for in Apple’s new iBooks online store. More agreements ought to be signed before the first iPads are shipped in March.' ~ The Economist

Are Electric Cars Green?

As consumers assess what the automakers are introducing, the electric plug-in car is increasingly an option for the future. Imagine a neighbourhood of electric cars all neatly plugged into the electric power grid.

In a letter to the editor at Maclean's magazine one reader writes,

"Plug-in electric cars cannot be described as "green" because coal is the major source of electricity, especially in the U.S. and China. Coal produces much more CO2 than oil and very much more than natural gas, per unit of energy generated. A battery is merely an energy-storage device: charged overnight using dirty electricity in order to run a clean motor during the day." ~ David Walker, Professor of Chemistry, UBC

How do countries wean themselves of coal fired electric generated plants? Should nuclear energy be pursued more aggressively? Is carbon capture deep within the ground the answer?

Photo Credit:

The Enigmatic Salinger: Tributes

-The Catcher in the Rye (1951) was the first to capture the post-World War II alienation of youth: the idiomatic slang, the rage against the hypocrisy of the adult world and the fury at the inevitable loss of innocence that growing up demands. ~ Deirdre Donahue, USA Today

-Enraged by all the “phonies” who make “me so depressed I go crazy,” Holden soon became American literature's most famous anti-hero since Huckleberry Finn. The novel's sales are astonishing — more than 60 million copies worldwide — and its impact incalculable. Decades after publication, the book remains a defining expression of that most American of dreams — to never grow up. ~Hilel Itale, Associated Press, Globe and Mail

- Author and literary director of the prestigious Booker Prize, Ion Trewin said: "It's interesting how one book can really become an institution. It has meant so much to several generations, particularly young people...

"What he will be remembered for is one of the most remarkable books about growing up. I think everybody identifies in some way with it. ~BBC

- But however much the reclusiveness suited the author’s own needs, fans should thank him for it. It is precisely that silence that has frozen the whinging, angst-ridden, authentic Holden Caulfield in our cultural DNA. ~Brian Bethune, Maclean's

Social Enterprises Experience Growth in UK

The heart of what makes a social enterprise is businesses driven by social or environmental purposes. Its three main characteristics are that it is a viable business that trades services or products, has social aims and social ownership. Importantly, community ownership and investment means that some or all of the profits of the business go towards its social, or environmental mission.

Some interesting points from the article by Christine Ottery:

- There are 62,000 social enterprises in the UK, from those run by a handful of enterprising individuals to larger ones like the Big Issue and The Eden Project.
- Social enterprise creates around 800,000 jobs in the UK, contributing 24 billion pounds to the economy.
- Online social networks such as UnLtdWorld and Project Dirt provide opportunities to network and share ideas.
- The School for Social Entrepreneurs recruits 200 people each year to their ten centres across England where like-minded mavericks of their communities can learn and share insights.
- Also several universities offer degree courses.
- Enternships is an online portal for people seeking entrepreneurial internships.
- If you are not a budding social entrepreneur, you can still support social enterprises by volunteering, or spending your money ethically.
- Bikeworks.uk (above) was named 'Best New Social Enterprise' in 2009. Co-director Dave Miller says, "Cycling was a good selection for a social enterprise: there are environment, health, and employment opportunities - we work with homeless people- and sustainable cities, sustainable transport." ~ The Ecologist

I wonder if the social entrepreneurial model is as well developed in other countries? To me, this concept is not nearly as dynamic in North America.

Beauty in the Garden

As an avid gardener, my mind is already thinking about spring, partially to escape encroaching winter blues. There is a wonderful article written by Rachel de Thame which encourages us to think about bringing beauty and harmony into our gardens.

- In challenging times, what we need more than ever is the pleasure and comfort we find in beauty.
- Even classical Japanese gardens which lean towards asymmetry and 'naturalistic' form, combine restraint and clarity of line to achieve...serenity.
- She quotes respected gardener Beth Chatto who envisions an "asymmetrical triangle between earth, man, and heaven - which is so beautiful and gives such a wonderful feeling of balance. The art is in making everything flow together in harmony."
- It's good news that beauty can be achieved without breaking the bank and in an organically managed way.
- She quotes Roger Scruton, philosopher and writer, who said on the BBC series Why Beauty Matters, "I think we are losing beauty, and there is danger that with it we will lose the meaning of life."

The article certainly gets one thinking about how one can continue to try to harmonize elements in the yard to create a personal garden utopia. ~ TimesOnLine

How will your garden grow?

Water Down a Dry Riverbed

In this age of social media, friend and follow have some credence.

When I discovered at Creative Class that Yoko Ono was following Richard Florida on Twitter it was an invitation to peruse her tweets.

I was impressed with her perspective and added her to my follow list.

I also left a comment at Creative Class:

"You raise an interesting issue about good follows on Twitter. I think it boils down to these criteria:
- a ready identification of your brand and interests
- a consistent, helpful delivery of content pertinent to your brand
- some recognition of people who add to your perspective
- some individuality and wit

There is a lot of narrow self interest out there which needs to be filtered through. But, we continue to be open to the humanity in us all.

As Yoko Ono recently tweeted, 'Imagine water coming down a dry riverbed.'"

Finally I am flattered that Ms. Ono is following me as well.

A Delightful Site

Matthew's Inman's The Oatmeal is a lot of fun. Inman is a talented and witty writer, artist, and desk top publisher. His site contains "Comics, Quizzes, and Stories."

What particularly attracts the English teacher (retired) in me are these wonderful perspectives which are also available as posters - perfect for the classroom:

- How to use the Semicolon, the most feared punctuation on earth

- Ten Words you Need to Stop Misspelling

- How to Use an Apostrophe

Then there are numerous hilarious reads like:

- Why I Believe Printers were Sent from Hell

I thank Dougpete for the link. You can follow Oatmeal on Twitter here.

Wellness Wednesday

Here are some articles to get you thinking about nutrition and exercise.

-"For many people, on a daily basis, they simply shift from one chair to another — from the chair in the car to the chair in the office to the chair in front of the television. Even if someone has a healthy body weight, sitting for long periods still has an unhealthy influence on blood sugar and blood fats.” ~NYT, 'Too much sitting shorten lives, study says.'

- "Older women who did an hour or two of strength training exercises each week had improved cognitive function a year later, scoring higher on tests of the brain processes responsible for planning and executing tasks, a new study has found." ~ NYT, 'Exercise: In Women, Training for a Sharper Mind.'

- "The number of younger adults with high-blood pressure has almost doubled in the past decade, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation." ~ Globe and Mail, 'The face of heart disease gets younger.'

- "Increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids from fish – it’s well-trodden advice in the battle against heart disease. Now, according to a study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association, it’s a move that may also turn back the biological clock." ~ Globe and Mail, Leslie Beck, 'Another reason to eat your fish: it keeps you young.'

- The Guardian provides a hub of articles around 'Walk Yourself Fit." It includes warm up exercises, training plan, diet and mental preparation.

Apple on the Apex

Apple is enjoying unparalleled success. On Monday it reported a 50% increase in quarterly net profit with 100% sale increases of the iPhone from the year before. (Apple Stock Price is currently $203 with 52 week high at $215 and Low at $82.)

Now all eyes are on the company as the world await news of a new tablet on Wednesday which could be as groundbreaking as the iPod and iPhone.

Some pertinent details:
- The new tablet will be a direct response to recent competitor offerings, and E-Book companies are most likely awaiting this announcement with impending doom.
- Will it be called iPad or iSlate?
- The tablet may be a hybrid, somewhere between a MacBook and an iPhone with compact design and very clear high definition display.
- Most likely it will have Wi-Fi connectivity, be an E-Book reader on steroids, have terrific gaming features, plus have capabilities for web browsing, email, and the ability to multi-task.
- There has been very tight security. Mashable, however, has produced the image above from a contact. It sits atop a MacBook pro.
- Along with the tablet, will there be an announcement of version 4.0 for the iPhone which will expand upon multi-touch features, the possibility of multi-tasking, and other enhancements to synch with the tablet?
- Special invitations have been sent to journalists and guests around the world to attend the event. You can bet that the world will be watching.

Slate has an interesting article about Apple's announcement coming on the same day of President Obama's first State of the Union address. Steve Jobs delivers his iState of the Union.

Flight of the Blogosphere

Social media has changed the landscape for writing. Posting on the Internet is a bell heard around the world.

My poem, for example, on making a snowman, may now be read by someone who is in the midst of a summer heat spell, or by someone who has never made a snowman. My 'Serendipity Saturday' posted at Eastern Standard Time may be read by someone whose day is Sunday, or my 'Wellness Wednesday' by someone on Thursday. See the World Clock - Time Zones for times around the world.

The speed of global communications has afforded an extravagant flight around the world which is both energizing and insightful.

Three Questions

-Has social media made the world smaller, and encouraged people to feel closer and more understanding of each other?

-Have global communications enabled us to see the grand beauty of this world and motivated us to more resolutely protect its fragile existence?

-Will global communications expand the opportunity to understand and help those who are less fortunate?

(The photo above: certainly emphasizes the fleeting moment of building snowmen two days earlier, and may symbolize the thawing divisions of the global community.)

A Precious, Fleeting Moment

The perfect moment of thaw and snow came early in the afternoon;
We invited our immigrant, sponsored family to our home,
To come with snow suits, boots, and warm mittens -
Strangers to the wonder of this moment
To build a snow man.
On hands and knees we each formed a tight ball,
Carefully at first and pressed firmly on the ground
And rolled and rolled...
Until the ball took on an identity all its own.
Squeals of laughter, tumbling over the edifaces, making snow angels -
The wonder of the moment frozen in time.

Make a Difference

Here are several reads to enrich your Sunday.

- Betterworld.net has the slogan, "Be a hero for a better world; every act of compassion makes a difference. It organizes quotes on this wonderful thematic page.

Under interconnection there is this quote by Kevin Bacon. " Six Degrees. org is a force for good, by bringing a social conscience to social networking.” The site has raised almost $3 million for relief in Haiti.

- National Geographic writer and explorer Dan Buettner shares what the world's longest-lived peoples have in common. Buettner condensed the findings into nine easy-to-remember lifestyle habits. Read Garr Reynolds' post at Presentation Zen.

- For anyone who knows the dynamics of Twitter, you will appreciate the perspective in "What Would Martin Luther King Make of Twitter?"

'I’m imagining a world in which today’s tools exist in King’s day. Specifically, I want to know what Dr. King would make of Twitter, the insistent social-media service that asks its users to describe “What’s happening?” in 140 characters or less....' ~Baratunde Thurston, Vanity Fair

Serendipity Saturday

Here are several links to enrich your Saturday.

-The Canadian Mental Health Association provides an excellent list about maintaining emotional equilibrium and balance in your life. The ten points include:

- Build confidence
- Eat right, keep fit
- Make time for family and friends
- Give and accept support
- Create a meaningful budget
- Volunteer
- Manage Stress
- Find strengths in numbers
- Identify and deal with moods
- Learn to be at peace with yourself

See an enlightening explanation for each tip here.

-Marvel at the amazing origami creations from one sheet of paper! Thanks to Rodd Lucier for the tweet.

- Here's a business idea. A vintage portable ferris wheel is for sale. Imagine the fun you'll have prying kids off the ride. (I personally would love to drive the Chevy.)

-My words this week at 365 Word Quest include: abracadabra, a cappella, accolade, and acquiesce...

Top Ten Guide to Health and Fitness

OK, those reindeer in the photo are too skinny!

Here is the post that I have been promising all week. (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) It's my answer to the Fat Burning Furnace ads of the lady who loses 30 pounds in two seconds flat. I hope my top ten guide is not anticlimactic.

Would you rather be a Fat Burning Furnace or a Lean Calorie Machine?

Here is a no nonsense, simple approach to health, diet, and fitness.

1) Think Input: Everything you consume except water, tea, and coffee (with nothing) contains calories. Begin with a journal recording everything you eat and drink in a day. Complete this inventory for several days. Understand from where those calories are coming. Think about your meals, snacks, the size of your portions, the beverages you drink. Think about what foods are packed with calories, sugars, and salt, and others which are lean and packed with nutrients and antioxidants.

2) Think Output: Once you understand your eating habits and how many calories you are consuming, it's time to think about how you are burning those calories. Do you burn less than you consume? Then you have a problem. What steps can you take to increase your metabolic rate? Think about all the options to get your body moving and to achieve an invigorating endorphin release.

3) Think Weight Reduction: Most people have some weight to lose. Consequently your goal is to burn more calories than you eat 24/7/365. It's that simple and... challenging. You're up to it. Make it a game. I win, calories lose, on most days... How will you outsmart the temptations?

4) Think Opportunity: Don't see your weight gain as a problem but as an opportunity. This is a challenge commitment. You are transforming your lifestyle, your outlook, your self concept, and health. Now, you will be able to skip up steps...

5) Think Gradual Steps: Avoid radical dieting and exercising which are sure to fizzle. Slow and steady wins this race. Celebrate small victories occasionally. Also assure yourself that your mind, body, and emotions are in balance. Relax with a green tea and just imagine the glazed donut vanishing into thin air.

6) Think Exercise that's Fit for You: Don't force yourself into someone else's mould. Seek out exercise options which you will enjoy which offers a good cardiovascular workout. Find a group or friend which might double the benefit. Also keep the door open to alternative eastern influences like yoga or tai chi and enrich your center.

7) Think Muscle Groups: You want to tone all of your major body parts. Walking around the block every day is a good start but it should include some key warm up exercises to engage the various muscle groups.

8) Think Healthy Foods: You are what you eat. Avoid processed foods. Make foods from scratch. Seek out good recipes. Visit the market regularly for the best fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and meats. Consider what you eat and drink as an exotic adventure towards ultimate nutrition. Take pleasure in preparing good food and eating mindfully.

9) Think Moderation: Maintaining your lean calorie machine involves finding a healthy balance. There is no need to focus on one form of diet. Enjoy the full range of healthy choices available.

10) Think Liberation: Your long term goal is a healthier, leaner body with more energy to burn those calories and keep them off. And don't forget to love your body. Don't try to fit the air brushed, computer enhanced media stereotype. Research concludes that carrying a few extra pounds is a good thing.

You are a Lean Calorie Machine.

Finally I want to share five 'weird old tips' that I use to help me on the path. Email me at: paulhco(at)gmail(dot)com (Confidentiality is assured.)

P.S. Yes, that's me playing squash at 6 a.m. My partner and I have been fortunate enough to play twice a week for 25 years. (We like to inflict as much pain on each other as possible.)

If you like this post, please share.

Blooming Butterfly Poster

Learning Today has created an inspiring poster for classroom use which revolves around the Bloom's Taxonomy of learning. What an inspiration for teachers and their students.
-Remembering
-Understanding
-Applying
-Analyzing
-Evaluating
-Creating

I like the creating part at the end!

It has been made available under a Creative Commons License.

Thanks to Diane Cordell for the tweet.

The Culture of Quick Fixes

In a nutshell, a number of dynamics are at work today for the Fat Burning Furnace ads to carry so much influence:

- Many people's lifestyles are more sedentary. Activities often do not extend past the couch or Lazyboy, and that includes children and teens.
- The food industry provides convenient, processed foods high in sugars, starch, and salt.
- Fast food restaurants offer quick calorie rich food without consumers having to waste time in the supermarket and kitchen.
- Calorie packed snack foods are onmipresent.
- The media have fueled dreams of perfect body image.
- The pervasiveness of media messages includes advertising which fuels conflicting, frenetic dreams.
- People have been divorced from nature and do not see the value of the bottom tier natural goodness of nutrient packed fruits and vegetables.
- A lack of balanced food choices results in high cholesterol and hypertension.
- The pharmaceutical industry promotes quick fixes for medical conditions which could be avoided in more proactive ways through diet and exercise.
- Many people are reluctant to incorporate an exercise program into their routines.
- There is a lack of understanding of other cultures and their perspective toward food.
- It's difficult to commit to a long term lifestyle change.
- There is a reluctance to see the global dimensions of food and health needs.

- The root cause of the problem is not addressed.

More on this tomorrow with my Top Ten Guides for Lasting Health and Fitness.

Keep tweeting, emailing, or commenting on an exercise, diet, or food tip which works for you and keeps you centered.
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Over at 365 Quote Quest:

There's no quick fix - that's take two aspirins and call me in the morning. ~ Deepak Chopra

- What did Chopra mean in his response to the distressed person?
- In what sense do we live in a culture of quick fixes?
-Where lie the answers for this needy person?

10 Wellness Questions on the Road to Health

I have finished the rough draft of my post for Friday and it's entitled The Top Ten Guides for Lasting Health and Fitness. This week I am gathering information about health, diet, and fitness and preparing an organic model. This perspective arose around the Fat Burning Furnace ads which have dominated the Internet the last month. The founder Rob Poulos claims he has the panacea for diet, exercise, and well being. I thought I would add my 2 cents worth.

Today I have 10 questions for you as you think about your own wellness plan:

- Why do North Americans have some of the most problems with weight gain?
- What fuels the multi billion dollar diet industry?
- What are the ideal exercises?
- How does the mass media shape the issue of wellness?
- How have modern lifestyles affected our well being?
- What can we learn about other cultures and their perspectives toward food?
- What insights can be gained from eastern pursuits such as yoga, tai chi, and tea drinking?
- What are the optimum, healthy foods?
- What has worked for you as you balance diet, exercise, and good health?
- How can we view wellness from a global perspective?

Comments are welcome as I fine tune my post for Friday.

(I even have 5 'weird old tips' to share with those who email me: paulhco(at)gmail(dot) com
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Over at 365 Quote Quest the perspective is about eastern meditative practices:

Yoga is bodily gospel. ~Reaven Fields

The yoga mat is a good place to turn when talk therapy and antidepressants aren't enough. ~Amy Weintraub

Tai Chi Chuan, the great ultimate, strengthens the weak, raises the sick, invigorates the debilitated, and encourages the timid. ~Cheng Man Ching

- How much do you know about eastern meditation practices?
- What can the west learn from these perspectives?
- When did you appreciate a moment of quiet reflection with mental and body discipline?

Photo Credit:

Get that Body Moving

(Google Trends chart reveals a spike in searches for exercising.)

It is exercise alone that supports the spirits, and keeps the mind in vigor. ~Marcus Tullius Cicero

Whenever I feel like exercise, I lie down until the feeling passes. ~Robert M. Hutchins

I spent some time cruising the myriad sites for exercise information. After all, movement is one crucial dimension of a healthy mind and body. I am writing a top ten fitness,diet, wellness plan for Friday.

Thanks to the ads of Fat Burning Furnace the net is buzzing about exercising since December. Notice the chart from Google Trends, and hot searches about exercises. What are the exercises you can do to reduce weight and sculpt a more desirable body image? Everyone wants to know.

- Cardio Exercises to Burn Major Calories - Shapefit
- Home workout routines to work all the major muscle groups - Home Exercise Coach
- Best fat burning exercises for women - Women Workout Routines
- The 8 minute fat busting workout - Life-Fitness-Routines
- Essential Quad Exercises - Strength-Training-Woman
- Essential Exercises without access to gym - Articlebase

Some general guidelines for a good exercise program are to get the heart rate up, mix up the routines, aim for regularity, and enjoy it! Also it may be more desirable to double the fun and work out with a group and a qualified trainer.

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Finally enjoy a quick mind fix at 365 Quote Quest/ 365 Word Quest.

Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person's physical, emotional, and mental states. ~Carol Welch

- How important is exercise to you?
- What form(s) does it take?
- How transformative is exercise in your life? ~ 365 Quote Quest

Diet/Exercise/Health: Recurring Themes

I am focusing this week on developing a 10 step simplistic diet, health plan. Yesterday I read the appeal of Rob Poulos and his concept of the Fat Burning Furnace. His 30 minute pitch hits on the right notes:

- it's time to correct years of misinformation
- lean good health does not have to be tied to fads or celebrity endorsed plans and products
- one can see results without depriving yourself
- everyone wants a toned body
- the plan involves sensible exercising
- it's an end to Yo Yo dieting

Here are the pitches of some other marketers:

- Weight Watchers: Control hunger/Beat Temptation/Stop Dieting/ Start Living
- Nutrisystem: Jump start your weight loss
- Jenny Craig: We change lives
- Shape Fit: Build the muscle, burn the fat, fuel the body
- Myalli.com: Change is eating right for life, a healthy weight, a happier state of mind, something we can achieve together; real help+a real plan+real people; eat for long term health; ease into exercise... "With alli and myalliplan, you can lose weight by learning the right way to use food. The plan teaches you about nutrition and how food works along with fitness, emotional triggers, and how to build the habits that lead to a healthy weight, and happier life."

Recurring themes above are eating the right foods, easing into reasonable exercise, and being mentally willing to transform your lifestyle.

The more you eat, the less flavor; the less you eat, the more flavor. ~Chinese Proverb

Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it. ~Plato

Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person's physical, emotional, and mental states. ~Carol Welch

Any thoughts about diet/exercise/optimum health? What has worked for you?

Finally, enjoy a quick mind fix at 365 Quote Quest/ 365 Word Quest.

Fat Burning Furnace: The Sales Pitch Exposed

Alright, you have probably seen this ad a hundred times of a lady miraculously losing 30 pounds in just 2 seconds 'flat'. The Fat Burning Furnace is a slick marketing campaign which is probably making its marketers, Rob Poulos and his wife, wads of cash, even after paying Google a bundle for all the ads. It even has companion sites which assure The Fat Burning Furnace is not a scam!

To spare you the 30 minute sales pitch, here's the overview of their perspective:

- A man/wife team provide a testimonial of their weight loss
- they spent $23,000 on weight loss, exercise, and diet counselling which didn't work
- they debunk some dieting myths
- their plan will transform your body, boost immune system, melt away fat, and enable you to enjoy eating without gimmicks
- it boils down to a 15 minute workout with 22 exercises
- time to avoid Yo Yo dieting, time to get it right
- don't spend thousands on a personal trainer or diet counsellor
- buy their plan now and not only get the Deluxe Blueprint Plan but the Ultimate Blueprint Plan with email coaching for only......(finally after 30 minutes) - $39.

After all that, like a sales pitch for a sleek sports car, one is tempted to buy the book, instantly downloadable, of course. Rumours are that this is just the beginning with a future webinar and other spinoff products.

Something to anticipate: I am going to do a little research this week and will provide my humble 10 step fitness, diet plan on Friday. Input is welcomed!

Finally I hope you can enjoy a quick mind fix at 365 Quote Quest/ 365 Word Quest.

More with Less Sunday

Here are several links to enrich your life quest.

- Thanks to Doug P., who commented earlier about the work of Shelter Box to provide emergency aid to disaster victims. What's inside a Shelter Box? Care to contribute to their work, particularly in light of the Haiti disaster?

-Scott Russell Sanders writes a thoughtful essay entitled 'Mind in the Forest' about an intimate encounter with really old trees. ~ Orion Magazine

- Ed Coambs, a Kiva field worker in the Philippines, provides a specific example of how the lending program works. ~Kiva, stories from the field (I have added Kiva to my sidebar: Loans that change lives.)

If service is the rent you pay for your existence on this earth, are you behind in your rent? ~ Robert G. Allen

365 Quote Quest: The medium is the message...
365 Word Quest: Abbey, Aberration...

Saturday Serendipities

Saturday, the weekend, some timely links which celebrate the diversities of life.

- A Monet painting, which was stolen from a Polish museum and replaced with a copy painted on cardboard, has been recovered almost a decade later. ~ BBC

-"I used to think the apocalypse was so tomorrow. Lately at the movies, though, what with "Zombieland" and "2012" and "The Road" and "Daybreakers," the end of the world seems so yesterday. Another day, another sky full of ash. Another ribbon of highway littered with charred vehicles and human remains." Then comes another "apoc-a-pala-looza," The Book of Eli with Denzil Washington. ~ Michael Phillips, LA Times

- Get that blood flowing. New research indicates it keeps the brain sharp. ~ Paul Taylor, Globe and Mail

- "Given this poor economic climate, workers need to find a way to become entrepreneurial and tweak the structure of their professional lives now more than ever. So says entrepreneur and author Timothy Ferriss, author of The 4 Hour Workweek. Interview at Newsweek.

-David Brooks writes a perceptive essay regarding the underlying tragedy of Haiti and some difficult truths..."This is not a natural disaster story. This is a poverty story. It’s a story about poorly constructed buildings, bad infrastructure and terrible public services..." NYT

-A British Columbia entrepreneur has a vision: Build fruit and vegetable farms (Urban Barns) in inner-city warehouses to cope with an environmentally challenged future. It's even listed on Nasdaq. ~Globe and Mail

-365 Quote Quest today: Know Oneself
-365 Word Quest: Abattoir....It has been said the front page was a virtual abattoir of murder most foul. ~ Lee Israel

365 Word Quest: My Walk through the Dictionary

Greetings readers. I announce a new blog which is close to my heart and interests.

365 Word Quest is a journey through the dictionary rediscovering vital words. As a retired English teacher and lover of words and language, this new site provides me with the opportunity to share some really useful and interesting words. I will also provide a brief reflection to help you enjoy and learn the word. (This walk through the dictionary may take a few years - am I up to the challenge?)

My first word on the first page of the 1,750 page Collins dictionary is:

abalone - [ab-uh-loh-nee]
-a large mollusk of the genus Haliotis, having a bowllike shell bearing a row of respiratory holes, the flesh of which is used for food and the shell for ornament and as a source of mother-of-pearl.

From: 1840–50, Americanism; taken as sing. of California Sp abulones, pl. of abulón

Mnemonic (Learning Aids):

Abalone is far from baloney. Everything about it is beautiful: its soft vowel sounds, the rhythmic flow, its metaphorical possibilities in poetry with respect to its life and aesthetic dimensions. It's spelled pretty well as it sounds.

The Abalone Song by Jack London

Oh, some folks boast of quail on toast
Because they think it's toney,
But I'm content to owe my rent
And live on abalone.
Oh! Mission Point's a friendly joint,
Where ev'ry crab's a crony,
And true and kind you'll ever find
The clinging abalone...

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

My other hobby interest is 365 Quote Quest. Here I offer a quote and several questions for reflection and renewal. Today's submission is:

The sea pronounces something, over and over, in a hoarse whisper; I cannot quite make it out. ~ Annie Dillard, Pulitzer Prize winning author

- Think of times when you enjoyed being by the water.
- Dillard's tone is pensive, searching. Why the yearning?
- How do you respond to life's questions, mysteries?

I hope you can visit each site to see some of the simple design decisions I have made. Welcome! 365 Quote Quest and 365 Word Quest.

Haiti Earthquake: Pertinent Links

- The devastating earthquake in Haiti on Tuesday, which hit at 4:53 pm local time, has left 1/3 of the country's 9 million people in desperate need. The city of Port-au-Prince with two million people is particularly affected. At least 100,000 deaths are anticipated and huge numbers have serious medical injuries.

Haiti's president Rene Preval states, "Parliament has collapsed. The tax office has collapsed. Schools have collapsed. Hospitals have collapsed. There are a lot of schools that have a lot of dead people in them. All of the hospitals are packed with people. It is a catastrophe." ~ Guardian

- Haitian born singer Wyclef Jean has set up a website to donate at yele.org. His Twitter site is here.

-Other sites gratefully accepting relief aid include World Vision, and the Red Cross. Anyone with a cell phone can donate $10 to the Red Cross by sending a text message with the word "HAITI" to 90999.

- First hand experiences are provided in vivid detail of the Haitian earthquake at the Times Online.

- Caribbean and Haitian bloggers provide perspective at Global Voices Online.

- Finally the relief effort is a major logistical challenge. ~NYT

- 365 Quote Quest today: Preventing Poverty

From terns to travel...

A note to readers: You may have noticed a shift in structure. I will offer about five eclectic reads for the day from a variety of media sources. They are designed to balance a range of topics and interests. I hope at least several are meaningful for you.

- Google has threatened to pull out of China because of a "highly sophisticated" cyber-attack on its corporate infrastructure that appeared aimed at stealing intellectual property and spying on human-rights activists. "These attacks and the surveillance they have uncovered over the past year to limit free speech on the web... may well mean having to shut down Google.cn (China), and potentially our offices in China." ~ David Drummond, Google's senior vice-president, Globe and Mail

- '31 places to go in 2010' features some out of the way places, and some rediscovered. The list provides an informative and eclectic mix. ~NYT

- The award for highest frequent flier miles may go to the tiny tern which makes on average an annual 44,000 mile migration. "Not all tern migrations are created equal: The shortest in the study measured about 36,000 miles, the longest about 50,000. All in all, it adds up to a well-traveled lifetime. Terns can live on the long side of 30 years, and flying 44,000 miles every year for that length of time can add up to about 1.5 million miles, or about three lunar round trips." ~Discover

-Is your diamond funding terrorism? "Blood diamonds are also known as conflict diamonds. They are sold cheap to fund unlawful and illegal operations of rebel, military and terrorist groups in Africa. The countries which have been most affected by these sales include Sierra Leone, Angola, Liberia and the Democratic Republic of Congo." ~ Times of India

- Enjoy the Day in Pictures with an international scope. ~ BBC

365 Quote Quest today: Moving on from Mistakes

Tags: daily links, news, current events, global issues, essays, analysis, quotations, environment, society, health, media, technology, meditation, education, values, arts, politics, social justice, philanthropy,

From salty diets to best music of the decade

- New York health officials have battled trans fats, smoking, and high-calorie fast foods. Now they are taking on salt. “We all consume way too much salt, and most of the salt we consume is in the food when we buy it,” said Dr. Thomas Farley, the city health commissioner, whose department is leading the effort. Eighty percent of the salt in Americans’ diets comes from packaged or restaurant food. Dr. Farley said reducing salt from those sources would save lives.

The federal government recommends that sodium intake from salt be limited to 1,500 to 2,300 milligrams a day, with the latter figure equaling about a teaspoon. But the average adult in this country consumes about 3,400 milligrams a day. ~William Neuman, NYT

-News that former Alaska governor Sarah Palin is to be a contributor to Fox News is widely discussed in the US media. A BBC article includes links to several news commentators. One recurring metaphor is the megaphone. Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post notes that Ms Palin, "who has been broadcasting her political views on her Facebook page, has just acquired a far more potent media megaphone."
Matea Gold and Mark Barabak of the LA Times note that "Fox News gets a high-profile figure whose pronouncements on issues such as health care reform have helped drive contentious partisan debate."
And then there is speculation about presidential aspirations in 2012? ~BBC article

- The happiest couples focus on do's, not don'ts. Rather than just steering clear of negative interactions, they actively work to build positivity into their relationships. They show what psychologists call an "approach orientation," moving toward what's good, rather than moving away from what's bad. Darby Saxbe looks at 10 ways to perk up a relationship through a psychological perspective: be grateful, poke fun at each other, capitalize on good news... ~Psychology Today

-North American International Auto Show -"Detroit is still the premiere auto show in the U.S. It's still an exciting place to be, and if you are serious about the U.S. you are here to tell your story," says Joel Ewanick of Hyundai, a rising global automobile company.

Porsche and Nissan decided to skip the show, while leading automobile executives are taking the spotlight, and Toyota announces expanded Prius models. ~ Several articles in Popular Mechanics

- Rolling Stone provides lists of the 100 best albums of the previous decade and the 100 best songs. Any favourites? What's playing on your iPod?

365 Quote Quest today: Hear, See, Do... What's your perspective?

Tags: daily links, news, current events, global issues, essays, analysis, quotations, environment, society, health, media, technology, meditation, education, values, arts, politics, social justice,

Less Clutter, More Focus on the Internet

Regarding your Internet exposure, do you find that you are somewhat frazzled of late? That there are so many sites and so little time to find a strategic focus?

I have received several emails and comments recently which encourage me to keep up with finding selected links. In their busy lives they would like to count on a site to provide them with some really useful information about life and living, about pertinent issues which widen understanding and insight about the world.

People want less clutter, more simplicity and focus.

Quoteflections will continue to move in this direction.

I have one read for you today:
Do You Move Your Body Enough or Are you Stuck to your Cubicle?

Mary Collins was forced to quit exercising after a debilitating bicycle accident. She was haunted by a statistic that 65 percent of American adults are overweight or obese according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (A high statistic plagues most 'developed' countries.) She went on a road trip to find out why people refuse to move.

One of her observations: 'Scientists have looked at the few hunter-gatherer societies that are left, and in general there’s a three to four-mile daily range where you still gather enough calories to offset what you’re burning. All these national organizations today have different guidelines: move 30 minutes a day, or some say an hour...' Smithsonian Magazine

Do you get sufficient exercise to match our hunter-gatherer ancestors?

My other site 365 Quote Quest follows a similar minimalism. I provide a quote a day and ask several questions for reflection. It's meant to be an enriching oasis, an idea aquarium. Today's theme is 'The only gift...'

Twitter is Plumbing and Plumbing is Eternal

Several days ago I posted about the article by David Carr of the NYT who evaluates why Twitter will endure. He quotes Steven Johnson, “Twitter is looking more and more like plumbing, and plumbing is eternal.”

I thought this image was rather clever and I posted it on Twitter. An Internet friend Fred H. Schlegel picked up on my Tweet, added his own clever and creative twist to it and retweeted it to his followers. Low and behold, several of his followers really liked what he tweeted and retweeted and they retweeted it to their followers. Confused?

In a nutshell my original tweet suddenly had the potential to be viewed by 1,000's of others. That's networking gold on the Internet. It's called diversification, expanding your network. And I am just barely scratching the surface.

It boils down that most people who ply their trade on the Internet are on Twitter. Many debate its usefulness. Is it worth spending the time monitoring your presence there and what others are posting? Frankly some are using Twitter to great advantage. They have got it down to an art.

What are some of the dynamics?

- attracting followers
- finding people who are in your niche
- filtering friends from spammers
- finding people who have leverage
- posting good content
- interacting with fellow tweeters
- getting your brand out there

I am still learning, stumbling along as I try to figure out what works and doesn't work on the Internet. Believe me, it is not easy.

Leo Babauta at Zen Habits reflects on the only way to become amazingly great at something. " It takes desire, it takes drive, it takes lots and lots of doing."

Care to follow me on Twitter?

365 Quote Quest today: No duty is more urgent...

From Birds to Bees:Timely Links

- National Geographic offers images of Extreme Earth as wall paper. Care to run the treadmill in front of this?

- Vitamin D has been flying off the shelves in the northern hemisphere after several studies have shown that it can strengthen your bones, thwart different forms of cancer, stave off multiple sclerosis, autoimmune disorders and infections. (Mom's cod liver oil may not be so bad after all.) ~CBC News

-The global bee colony collapse is happening because of a whole web of problems from a loss of foraging ground and increased exposure to global pathogens. For example, "The $2 billion almond crop in California requires 1,000,000 honeybee hives for cross-pollination. That’s more than 40 percent of all the beehives in the country. So, come almond-tree flowering season, which begins in February, apiarists load up their hives on flatbeds and truck them to San Joaquin Valley. While this pilgrimage may be necessary to keep churning out cheap almonds, it also creates a melting pot of pathogens. And the moving and trucking itself could negatively impact the bees, too." ~Wired

- Google as search engine king, is now flexing its muscles into other industries from news and publishing to telecom, and threatens to change the landscape for all. For example, with the launch of its Nexus One smart phone, "Google has waded into unfamiliar and very sensitive territory. By selling the phone through its own online store, the Web giant is essentially giving carriers a taste of a less lucrative future."

“This is a complete end run,” said Peter Misek, an analyst with Toronto's Canaccord Adams. “What it does is basically try to disintermediate the carriers and make them nothing more than dumb pipes. That's what happened in the landline world of the Internet. It is a significant risk for telcos around the world.” ~Globe and Mail

- Margaret Atwood writes an impassioned essay as honorary co-president of the Rare Bird Club within Bird Life International. She reviews the power of bird allusions in mythology and literature, the shocking statistics of modern bird loss, and provides a vision for their preservation.

"A large part of BirdLife's energies are directed towards mapping important bird areas and attempting to protect them, and in cataloguing rare birds and monitoring them. In this way, rare and endangered birds that live in such areas and never leave them can be saved. But what about migrating birds? They run the gauntlet: if every stopping point but one is made safe, it's the one unsafe point that will kill the species. This is where international networking can help." ~ Guardian

365 Quote Quest today: Tis a Gift to be Simple...

Tags: daily links, news, global issues, essays, analysis, quotations, environment, society, health, media, technology, meditation, education, values, arts, politics, social justice, fair trade,

From Beets to Bubbles: Timely Links

Too busy to keep up with all the interesting media information out there? One of my goals at Quoteflections is to offer regularly some timely links to enrich your reading.

- Tara Parker-Pope of the NYT interviewed Jonny Bowden, author of "The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth" , and asked him if he would update his list of the easiest to find healthiest foods. His list is interesting and enlightening: beets, cabbage, swiss chard, cinnamon, pomegranate juice, dried pluns, pumpkin seeds, sardines, tumeric (the superstar of spices), frozen blueberries, and canned pumpkin. He provides convincing reasons why they are so healthy.

-Nicholas D. Kristof of the NYT writes about the happiest nation on earth according to the World Declaration of Happiness data bank. What sets Costa Rica apart is "its remarkable decision in 1949 to dissolve its armed forces and invest instead in education."

-David Carr of the NYT evaluates why Twitter will endure. He quotes Steven Johnson, “Twitter is looking more and more like plumbing, and plumbing is eternal.”

-Dr. Luisa Dillner at the Guardian provides a guide to a healthy 2010 which includes avoiding detox diets, giving up smoking, and giving to charity.

-Alex Hutchinson of the Globe and Mail asks is group exercise better than working out solo? His finding: Endorphin benefits are higher when activities are done in groups.

-Amanda Ripley writes an article in The Atlantic entitled "What Makes a Great Teacher?" The program, Teach for America, through analysis of multi year data, came up with four characteristics: great teachers set big goals for their students, they recruit students and parents in the process, they maintain focus, and they work relentlessly.

- Sarah Ball at Newsweek argues that John Cameron's Avatar could beat record holding Titanic at the box office. The hard part of earning $1 billion is already completed, it's competing against itself, marketing the novelty factor has proven successful, and there's a whole world out there eager to see it.

-Brian Johnson, movie critic at Macleans, provides his list of the top ten movies for 2009: Up in the Air, Fantastic Mr. Fox, An Education, The Road, Bright Star, A Serious Man, Inglourious Basterds, The Hurt Locker, The Cove, and Avatar.

- The Economist warns of a stock market bubble. Markets are too dependent on unsustainable government stimulus.

'Investors tempted to take comfort from the fact that asset prices are still below their peaks would do well to remember that they may yet fall back a very long way. The Japanese stock market still trades at a quarter of the high it reached 20 years ago. The NASDAQ trades at half the level it reached during dotcom mania. Today the prices of many assets are being held up by unsustainable fiscal and monetary stimulus. Something has to give.'

Feel free to recommend your own timely links. Simply copy and paste the URL for readers in comments.

365 Quote Quest today: Enthusiasm over Wisdom. Join the discussion.

In Pursuit of Happiness

Mary Jaksch at Good Life Zen provides a selection of "the best 100 self-development posts that will inspire you to grow and flourish."

This is a wonderful anthology featuring many insightful authors. Let me provide a brief snapshot of some perspectives so that you may be encouraged to read more.

Happiness

- Gretchen Rubin wrote The Happiness Project, "a memoir of the year I spent test-driving the wisdom of the ages, the current scientific studies, and the lessons from popular culture about how to be happy--from Aristotle to Martin Seligman to Thoreau to Oprah." Her twelve personal commandments on her blog include Be Gretchen (yourself), Let it go, Act the way I want to feel, Do it now, Be polite and fair, Enjoy the process, Spend out, Identify the problem, Lighten up, Do what ought to be done, No calculation, There is only love.

- Mary Jaksch writes about three strands which contribute to authentic happiness: the pleasant life or the life of enjoyment, the good life or the life of engagement, and the meaningful life or life of affiliation.

-Marcandangel reflect on 7 habits of highly happy people: be part of something you believe in, share time with friends and family, reflect on the good, exploit the resources you do have, create happy endings whenever possible, use personal strengths, savour natural joys of simple pleasures.

-Gretchen Rubin writes another all encompassing and perceptive article, "The only guide to happiness you'll every need" and provides 20 tips: Be present, Connect with others, Spend time with those you love, Focus on good things, Do work you love, Help others find time for peace, Notice the small things, Develop compassion, Be Grateful, Become a lifelong learner, Simplify your life, Slow down, Exercise, Meditate, Learn to Accept, Spend time in nature, Find the miracles in life.

I guess I am personally wary of happiness. There is the quote by Eric Hoffer, "The search for happiness is one of the chief sources of unhappiness."

Maybe it's best to live humbly and gratefully, being open to the little joys and opportunities which arise daily. Meanwhile, the advice provided above are precious signposts.

What is your perspective on happiness?

365 Quote Quest today: The Tissue of Every Day Life

Photo Credit:

Vanity Fair turns into Circus Carnival

What a scoop for Vanity Fair and photographer icon Annie Leibovitz. Taken before the sex scandal broke, the cover photograph for the February issue has riveted global attention and seems fitting for Tiger Woods' current predicament.

Annie Leibovitz, who is known to collaborate closely with each of her subjects including Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg, said, "Tiger is an intensely competitive athlete – and quite serious about his sport. I wanted to reveal that in these photos. And to show his incredible focus and dedication."

Annie Leibovitz is one of America's best portrait photographers who started at Rolling Stone and moved to Vanity Fair in 1983.

New York magazine provides an apt analysis of the portrait.

"In it, the golf great is lifting weights shirtless, wearing, for some reason, a knit cap like he's just out on the yard with the other inmates. His expression is not contemplative, or tough — it's downright menacing. Which, whatever they may think of him now, is not likely the image his fans have in their heads of him. Until now, the visuals running with stories of Woods picture a mixed-race Ken doll with a polo shirt and dark khakis and a crisp, clean Nike hat. As the world is obsessed with how many bosomy blondes across the country have fallen prey to his wiles, we're betting Tiger Woods isn't too pleased he agreed to this particular pose."

Have you visited 365 Quote Quest?

Synopsis of Self-Development Posts (1)

Mary Jaksch at Good Life Zen provides a selection of "the best 100 self-development posts that will inspire you to grow and flourish."

This is a wonderful anthology featuring many insightful authors. Let me provide a brief snapshot so that you may be encouraged to read more.

Personal Transformation

- Scott Young at Pick the Brain discusses 17 ways "to find your passion for anything." He said, "The skill of finding your passion is like turning up the dial for the amount of color you experience in life." For example, "Give yourself rules, objectives and strategic constraints. The more creative thinking required, the better." Some of his strategies include: remove the chains, tune the challenges, humble confidence, focus immediately...

- Leo Babauta at Zen Habits reflects on the only way to become amazingly great at something. 10,000 hours may not be the absolute rule here but" it takes desire, it takes drive, it takes lots and lots of doing."

-Steven Aitchison writes about 100 ways (yes, 100) to develop your mind. They include do the thing you fear most, stop talking, take a walk around an art gallery, practice gratitude, over deliver on your promises... In practicing patience he writes, "Waiting in queues, traffic jams, on a telephone call can be very frustrating sometimes. If you use the time to develop your mind and focus on your goals your frustration will dissipate very quickly. Use free time like this constructively instead of getting angry and putting yourself in a bad mood."

- Leo Babauta shares "the slow secret, how to make lasting changes in your life." Slow works because there is more mindfulness, you hold yourself back, you learn it right, there is increased focus, and it brings calm.

- Jonathan Mead of Illuminated Mind writes about doing what you are passionate about and finding employers to want to hire you. Mead provides seven steps and concludes, 'Clarity and commitment are the biggest steps, the rest is easy. One foot in front of the other."

- Mary Jaksch writes a comprehensive post about 9 ways to develop one's intelligence at any age under the headings of verbal, logical, spatial, body, musical, social, emotional, spiritual, and creative. "The great news is that the brain is plastic: it can develop throughout life..."

- Glen at PluginID writes about one action you can do to help with your skill development. It includes visualizing the skill you want to improve. "Whenever you picture yourself doing whatever it is you want to improve at successfully, your brain stores that and it starts to become a natural habit."

-Donald Latumahina at Life Optimizer says the key to success is making yourself as useful as possible to others, and provides 30 tips to make yourself indispensable. These needs can be grouped into eight categories: physical, security, belonging, esteem, learning, aesthetic, self-actualization, and transcendence.

- Jonathan Fields writes about the power of visualization and goal achievement. He says with clarity and belief one can create vivid mental simulations. "The more you believe, the more likely you are to act."

- Chris Guillebeau provides a short collection of unconventional ideas including "there is always more than one way to accomplish something." Also, "You don’t have to live your life the way other people expect you to."

Any thoughts about the ideas on self-improvement so far?

365 Quote Quest today: The Challenges of Child Raising